Mill for coffee and the like



NOV. 3, 1931. H Y 1,829,985

MILL FOR COFFEE AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov.,3, 1931. E. M. FLAHERTY HILL FOR COFFEE AND THE LIKE 6 f? a w 1 d w. Wammmmmmmmwmm a V W may 6 p d 1 J; 2% 6i W Z 9 {Way 5 m 1 4 2 & \w l z H I, 4 g 7 5 @i 2 0 1 6 w}; J 5w 5 purposes will also appear hereinafter.

Patented Nev. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD M. FLAIHERTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS MILL r03 COFFEE am) THE LIKE Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to a power-driven mill of compact form for the grinding of coffee and other like substances. For its objects my invention aims to provide in a mill of the character described a construction which is simple, inexpensive, and dependable in operation; and one in Which means are provided for adjusting relatively the grinding surfaces whereby to vary the size. of the. disintegrated product. Other objects and An exemplific'ation of this invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings in the manner following:

Figure 1 isa side elevation of the housing in which; the millis contained,

Fig. 2 is a similar view in section on a larger scale showing the motor, grinding unit and feed hopper therefor in elevation,

Fig. 31s asectional elevation of the grinding unit taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. at is a rear elevation of the grinding unit Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof omitting the driving pulley,

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, the driving pulley being also omitted Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing the manner in which the teeth on therotatable and stationary grinding members intermesh,

' and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the rotatable grinding member, the teeth thereof being directed upwardly.

I The present mill construction may be contained within a housing 10 which is supported upon a base 11 having a depending skirt 12 and depending feet 13 on which the structure rests. The base may be of generally rectangular form and the skirt 12. forms a partial enclosure inwhich is accommodated a slidable drawer 14. The front side 15 of the drawer 14 may be configured to harmonize present the appearance of its being part thereof. A knob 16 is provided on the front side 15 of the drawer to serve as a handle therefor. The upper side of the base 11 constitutes a floor 17 on which 1929. Serial No. 381,906.

is mounted an electric motor 18 and a grinding unit 19.

The electric motor l8 is provided with a pulley wheel 20 which is connected by a strap pivotally on the floor 17 rearward of its center.

of gravity. For this purpose I provide on the motor a bracket 23 which engages a trans verse pin 24 which is supported at each end by a bracket 25 suitably bolted to the floor 17. Electric conductors 26 connect the motor 18 with a source of electric energy'in the usual way. 7 I

The housing 10 is preferably constituted by two portions 27 and 28 which are hin ed together at 29. The portion 27 is prefera 1y permanently mounted upon the base 11 while the rear portion 28 may be attached to the base by means of readilydetachable connections so that said portion 28 of the housing may be moved upwardly about the hinge 29 so that the operating parts can be inspected, oiled, adjusted or repaired.

The movable portion 28 of the housing 10 is preferably provided with a hopper 3O suitably supported thereby and provided with a discharge outlet 31.which extends into the receiving opening 32' of the grinding unit. The hopper is provided with a hinged lid 33, the members 27, 28'and 33 being preferably connected by three leafed hinges.

The grinding unit comprises a casing formed by two castings 35 which are provided with'fiat portions 36 constituting side' plates. At their lower edges said side plates are, provided with laterally projecting feet 37 whereby the grinding unit may be rigidly bolted to the floor 17. The castings 35 carry at their forward edges, inwardly projecting walls38 which meet to form the forward wall of the casing 34. The inwardly projecting walls38 have a main central portion which is curved to correspond with the rotating grinding member, andat their upper and lower edges their continuations form part of the inlet and outlet of the grinding unit. The two castings 35 are held together by .a

"bolt 39 and by a pin 40 on one of said castings which fits snugly into a corresponding opening in the other casting. Said castings 35 are provided with bosses 41 which carry bearings for the shaft 42 of the rotatable rinding member 43.

The rotatable grinding member 43 comprises a cylindrical portion 44 which is provided with a single row of spaced teeth 45 which may preferably be of angular or saw teeth outline as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The .teeth 45 may suitably be formed integrally on a bar 46 which is mounted in a strip of brass 47, which is received in a slot on the periphery of the cylindrical member 44 and secured therein in any suitable manner, for example, deformation by punching.

The stationary grinding member 48 is pivotally suspended or hung from the upper rear edges of the castings 35 by means of the screw 49 which passes therethrough. Said stationary member is preferably constituted by an assembly of alternate laminations 50 and 51 which are riveted together or otherwise united to form a single unit. As shown in Fig. 3 the stationary grinding member 48 is of general arcuate shape, the outersurface thereof corresponding in contour to the rear edges of the castings 35. The inner edges of the laminations 51, which are opposite the teeth 45 on the rotatable grin ding member- 43 are preferably gently curved with a curvature substantially less than that of the cylinder 44. The laminations 50 which alternate with the laminations 51 are of similar general shape but are provided with angular or saw-like teeth 52 which project inwardly between the paths of the teeth 45 on the rotary grinding member as will be understood vmore readily from Figs. 6 and 7. As shown in Fig. 3 the uppermost teeth 52 are of substantial size while the lowermost teeth 52 are much smaller. As is also clearly shown in this figure, the upper larger teeth 52 are spaced apart from the .rotatable grinding member 43 by a substantial distance while the lower teeth 52 approach closely the periphery of the cylinder 44. The nearness of this approach can be adjusted for the purpose of regulating the fineness of the grind. For this purpose one of the castings 35 is provided with small slot 53 through which a thumb screw 54 extends into a threaded opening in the stationary grinding member 48. Said stationary grinding member 48 is provided at its rear end with a thumb screw 55 which is adapted to serve as a handle when regulating the degree of the grind. It will be understood that the screw 54 is tightened to maintain the grinding member in the desired adjustment.

, The receiving opening 32 of the grinding unit is constituted by the upper portion of the stationary grinding member 48 and the uppermost portions of the castings 35 in- I grinding unit. move toward the teeth 52 by the teeth 45 and cluding the upper edges of the inwardly projecting walls 38. The discharge outlet 56 of the grinding unit 19 is constituted by the lower portions of the side plates 36, the lower portions of the walls 38 and the lower portion of the stationary grinding member 48. Below this discharge outlet the floor 17 is provided with an opening 57 so that the ground material passes directly from the discharge outlet 56 into the drawer 14.

The improved device is very simple to manufacture and assemble. The laminated plates 50 and 51 may be stamped out of suitable material and may be assembled in alternating order and riveted together.

In operation the stationary grinding member 48 is adjusted so as to give the desired character of grind. This is done by loosening the screw 54, moving the member 48 into desired relation with respect to the cylinder 44 and then retightening the screw 54 to maintain the desired relation.

The motor 18 is started by means of a suitable switch (not shown), the lid 33 is opened and coffee beans or other material are supplied into the hopper 30 from which they pass directly into the receiving opening 32 of the Such beans are caused to are engaged therebetween repeatedly until they are reduced to the desired state of subdivision whereupon the ground material passes into the discharge outlet 56 of the grinding unit and thence into the drawer 14.

An apparatus constructed according to the present description may be produced at small expense and the assembly of its parts requires but little effort. Inasmuch as the moving parts are all enclosed, there is no likelihood of injury either to the operator on the out side, or to the mechanism interiorly of the housing. The construction is one which is compact and requires but little space for its accommodation.

I claim:

1. A indin mill comprising a casing, a rotata le grin ing member mounted therein and a stationary grinding member pivotally mounted on said casing and adjustable with respect to said rotatable grinding member, said stationary grinding member being assembled from alternating laminations having smooth concave edges and laminations having cutting teeth projecting inwardly beyond said edges, said rotatable grinding member carrying cutting teeth staggered in relation to the cutting teeth on the latter laminations whereby said members may be brought into substantial contact without damage during operation.

2. A grinding mill comprising a casing, a rotatable grinding member mounted therein, said grinding m'ember having a smooth ,circular periphery from which upstand at one point a row of spaced teeth, and a stationary grinding member adjustable to and from said rotary grinding member comprising a series of. laminations rigidly held together,

- alternate laminations having respectively smooth and toothed concave faces, the'latter projecting beyond the former whereby said members may be brought into substantial contact without damage during operation.

3. A grinding machine comprising a support, an electric motor operated grinding unit mounted on said support, a two-part housing secured to said support to normally enclose said unit, one of said housing parts being movable relative to the other to expose said unit, and a hopper carried by said movable part having a discharge outlet shaped and positioned to enter and seal the feed inlet of the grinding unit when in closed position thereover.

4. A portable mill unit of the character described in which is comprised a two-part casing having a top, bottom andside walls, and a hinge connecting said parts adjacent the top, an electric motor operated mill unit mounted on the casing bottom, a hopper carv ried by one casing part having its outlet end positioned for delivering material into the mill, there being an opening through the top of the casing communicating with said hopper, a door carried by the hinge connection for said casing parts for normally closing said opening, whereby said one casing part, w the hopper and the'doof closure therefor, are swingable about a common axis.

5. A portable enclosed grindin machine comprising a support, an adjusta 1e grind-- ing unit and an electric motor operatively connected thereto mounted on said support, a housing mounted on said support and ,en-

40 closing said grinding unit and. motor, said housing having a relatively movable portion, a hopper carried by said movable portion and having a discharge outlet constructed and positioned to enter and'seat within the feed E5 inlet of said grinding unit, whereby when the movable'porti on of said casing is swung relative to the stationary portion to expose the grinding unit the hopper is disconnected and moved away fromethe grindin unit.

EDWARD M. F RTY. 

